Saturday, February 9, 2013

Lose yourself, but don't quite lose your SELF

I know women who all they ever wanted to be is a mom. I know women who didn't know that they would enjoy being a mom so much. I know women who want to be supermom - corporate moguls, Pinterest bake sale, & lingerie wife. All those women, however, have one thing in common. They want to be themselves too.

Eminem, in his song "Lose Yourself" says:
"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo"
And I think this holds true for motherhood, except I'd change music to children & blow to know. You do in fact, need to own it. You can't let the chance to be a mom, or even a parent, pass you by without enjoying yourself and owning that this is part of who you are.

Emphasis on PART of who you are. Lose yourself in it, when you need to be in the moment, they need you BUT don't lose your SELF.

I stumbled upon a great blog that said it perfectly;
"I also know that in the midst of my momness, it’s important for me to continue to grow as a person, continue to explore my own passions, continue to give time and attention and focus to other areas in my life too." themommyhoodmemos.com

We all know, and are often told, that we are better mothers, wives, heck, people overall when we are happy. And I mean truly happy. Part of that happiness for some, is provided by being able to step away from it all. I'm sure there are moms out there who's every happiness comes from baking cookies, making playdough and watching their children laugh. I'm going to be honest. I'm not one of those moms and, I could be wrong, but I think the majority of women need something for themselves.

I'm a work at home mom, so I have the benefit of caring for my children while doing something that doesn't involve them. My work is for me. I hold a publication in my hand and feel like I've created something. That part of me that's just for me, selfishly says, I had a part in creating this beautiful magazine. It's tangible. I do Zumba once a week. For me, this is an escape because I LOVE to dance. I love the challenge of learning choreography and sweating while I do so. I enjoy myself. I enjoy my self. Me. I enjoy being with my self. In all these things I come away, happy, and even when I'm gone an hour, I miss my children but it's like a fog breaks. It's a break in the routine, where I am just Chris. I'm not mom. I'm not wife. I'm a creator. I'm an expressionist. I'm a powerhouse. All in my self.

People always talk about hats. The Mom Hat. The Wife Hat. The Housekeeper Hat. The Career Girl Hat. Well, I think, one of those hats, needs to be made of your very own design, with flourish. If you don't have that hat, or it's stuffed in the back of the closet, dust it off. Look deep within your self, and find that hat or make a new one. Hat's are like shoes, you can't have too many and boy is it fun to switch it up once in a while.